‘I Was In Shock,’ NC Teen Says After School Resource Cop Slammed Her To Ground

Jasmine Darwin suffered a concussion after she was thrown by Ruben De Los Santos, a school resource officer.

A 16-year-old North Carolina student expressed shock and embarrassment after her school’s resource officer slammed her to the ground in a viral video captured by classmates on Tuesday.

“Every time I look at it, it’s embarrassing,”Jasmine Darwin told WISTV. “I didn’t even realize it happened. Like, I was in shock.”

In an interview with WISTV, Darwin said she was breaking up a fight between her sister and another student when Ruben De Los Santos, a school resource officer and member of the Rolesville Police Department, promptly picked her up and threw her to the ground.

According to Rolesville Police Chief Bobby Langston, the fight began at 7:10 a.m. in the Rolesville High School cafeteria.

Santos worked as a resource officer at Rolesville High School for four years, according to WISTV. School spokesperson Lisa Luten told the television news outlet he’s been placed on administrative leave. The NC Bureau of Investigation has launched a probe into the incident, WISTV reports.

Darwin’s mother, Desiree Harrison, told the news outlet that school officials failed to inform her about Jasmine’s involvement when she was called about her child’s participation in the fight. She was only made aware of the video after she returned home.

“They were so busy trying to get rid of the one who was in a fight but didn’t even say something about the one that was not involved in anything,” Harrison said.

She immediately rushed her daughter to the hospital, where doctors told her Jasmine suffered a concussion. “That’s not how you handle a child. She’s only 100 pounds. He could’ve killed her,” said Harrison. Jasmine remained home from school on Wednesday, according to WISTV.

Rolesville High School Principal Dhedra Lassiter released a statement on the school’s website, saying, in part, she was “deeply concerned.”

Investigators are reviewing the officer’s body camera, which recorded the incident, but the footage has not yet been released.